sequencer: handle unborn branch with `--allow-empty`

When using git-cherry-pick(1) with `--allow-empty` while on an unborn
branch, an error is thrown. This is inconsistent with the same
cherry-pick when `--allow-empty` is not specified.

Detect unborn branches in `is_index_unchanged`. When on an unborn
branch, use the `empty_tree` as the tree to compare against.

Add a new test to cover this scenario. While modelled off of the
existing 'cherry-pick on unborn branch' test, some improvements can be
made:

- Use `git switch --orphan unborn` instead of `git checkout --orphan
  unborn` to avoid the need for a separate `rm -rf *` call
- Avoid using `--quiet` in the `git diff` call to make debugging easier
  in the event of a failure. Use simply `--exit-code` instead.

Make these improvements to the existing test as well as the new test.

Helped-by: Phillip Wood <phillip.wood@dunelm.org.uk>
Helped-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Signed-off-by: Brian Lyles <brianmlyles@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

sequencer.c

@@ -772,29 +772,42 @@ static struct object_id *get_cache_tree_oid(struct index_state *istate)
 static int is_index_unchanged(struct repository *r)
 {
 	struct object_id head_oid, *cache_tree_oid;
+	const struct object_id *head_tree_oid;
 	struct commit *head_commit;
 	struct index_state *istate = r->index;
+	const char *head_name;
 
-	if (!resolve_ref_unsafe("HEAD", RESOLVE_REF_READING, &head_oid, NULL))
-		return error(_("could not resolve HEAD commit"));
+	if (!resolve_ref_unsafe("HEAD", RESOLVE_REF_READING, &head_oid, NULL)) {
+		/* Check to see if this is an unborn branch */
+		head_name = resolve_ref_unsafe("HEAD",
+			RESOLVE_REF_READING | RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE,
+			&head_oid, NULL);
+		if (!head_name ||
+			!starts_with(head_name, "refs/heads/") ||
+			!is_null_oid(&head_oid))
+			return error(_("could not resolve HEAD commit"));
+		head_tree_oid = the_hash_algo->empty_tree;
+	} else {
+		head_commit = lookup_commit(r, &head_oid);
 
-	head_commit = lookup_commit(r, &head_oid);
+		/*
+		 * If head_commit is NULL, check_commit, called from
+		 * lookup_commit, would have indicated that head_commit is not
+		 * a commit object already.  repo_parse_commit() will return failure
+		 * without further complaints in such a case.  Otherwise, if
+		 * the commit is invalid, repo_parse_commit() will complain.  So
+		 * there is nothing for us to say here.  Just return failure.
+		 */
+		if (repo_parse_commit(r, head_commit))
+			return -1;
 
-	/*
-	 * If head_commit is NULL, check_commit, called from
-	 * lookup_commit, would have indicated that head_commit is not
-	 * a commit object already.  repo_parse_commit() will return failure
-	 * without further complaints in such a case.  Otherwise, if
-	 * the commit is invalid, repo_parse_commit() will complain.  So
-	 * there is nothing for us to say here.  Just return failure.
-	 */
-	if (repo_parse_commit(r, head_commit))
-		return -1;
+		head_tree_oid = get_commit_tree_oid(head_commit);
+	}
 
 	if (!(cache_tree_oid = get_cache_tree_oid(istate)))
 		return -1;
 
-	return oideq(cache_tree_oid, get_commit_tree_oid(head_commit));
+	return oideq(cache_tree_oid, head_tree_oid);
 }
 
 static int write_author_script(const char *message)

t/t3501-revert-cherry-pick.sh

@@ -104,11 +104,19 @@ test_expect_success 'revert forbidden on dirty working tree' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'cherry-pick on unborn branch' '
-	git checkout --orphan unborn &&
+	git switch --orphan unborn &&
 	git rm --cached -r . &&
-	rm -rf * &&
 	git cherry-pick initial &&
-	git diff --quiet initial &&
+	git diff --exit-code initial &&
+	test_cmp_rev ! initial HEAD
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'cherry-pick on unborn branch with --allow-empty' '
+	git checkout --detach &&
+	git branch -D unborn &&
+	git switch --orphan unborn &&
+	git cherry-pick initial --allow-empty &&
+	git diff --exit-code initial &&
 	test_cmp_rev ! initial HEAD
 '